Scam Prevention Guide

Employment Scams Quiz

Employment scams occur when job applicants believe they are applying for or have been hired for a promising new job when, instead, they have given personal information via a fake application. In another version of this scam, the scammer asks you to pay for equipment for training. Do you have the information you need to protect yourself from employment scams? Take our quiz!

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1. Which of the following are red flags for a potential job scam:

Employer or recruiter requires a fee upfront Employer insists on conducting the interview via messaging app. The job seems too good to be true (good wages, stay-at-home work, no specific skills). Requests personal or financial information. All of the above

This IS a red flag. No federal job will require you to pay an application fee. If any potential employer asks you to pay money up front, walk away. It’s a scam.

This IS a red flag. While more organizations are conducting online interviews, if you are only dealing with the person via online chat applications such as WhatsApp, do your homework to make sure it’s not a scam. Scammers use these apps to stay anonymous.

This is a sign it’s a scam. Scammers offer great opportunities that require few skills to target more people for the scam. Everyone wants their dream job; however, if it seems to good to be true, do your research to make sure it’s legitimate.

If they are asking you to provide personally identifiable information, proceed with caution. If they ask for banking information, it’s definitely a scam.

Correct! Good job.

2. If you are unsure if a job offer/listing is real or not:

Ask to speak with the hiring manager Provide extra information Check to see if the opportunity is listed on the company’s official website. Look for a corporate logo

Talking to somebody else won’t confirm it’s not a scam. Contact a third party.

Scammers not only charge fees, they may also ask for your personally identifiable information. Be careful about what you share.

Correct. Any legitimate job opportunity should be listed on the organization’s website. If it’s not, proceed with extreme caution.

It’s easy to copy a company’s logo or create a professional looking website. If they claim to be with a well-known company, go to the company’s website directly to find the job listing.

3. True or false? Federal government jobs require an application fee:

True False

This is false. Government jobs do not require an application fee.

Correct!

4. Your new employer sends you a check for office equipment then asks you to transfer it to another account. You should:

Deposit it and transfer the funds immediately. Celebrate your new job with friends and family. Confirm the check is real before you transfer funds from your own account.

Incorrect. This is a common tactic used for employment scams. Do you research to make sure the job is legitimate, and make sure the check is real. Scammers send fraudulent checks and ask you to transfer your own funds to another account. By the time you find out the check is fake, you’re out the funds you transferred.

Sorry. This is a common tactic used for employment scams. Do you research to make sure the job is legitimate, and make sure the check is real. Scammers send fraudulent checks and ask you to transfer your own funds to another account. By the time you find out the check is fake, you’re out the funds you transferred.

Correct! This is a very common scam tactic. You transfer your own funds to another account. By the time you realize the check is fraudulent, you’re out the money you transferred. It can take several days before your bank alerts you that the check is fake.

5. I’ve already submitted work online to my new employer, so I’m in the clear. It’s legitimate. True or False?

True False

Incorrect. BBB has received reports from those who submitted online work for weeks before they realized it was a scam. Scammers work to make the engagement feel as real as possible before they ask you to pay them fees, provide personal information, or tell you to deposit a fake check.

You’re correct! Even if you’ve started work for your new employer, keep your eyes open for red flags. BBB has received reports from those who submitted online work for weeks before they realized it was a scam. Scammers work to make the engagement feel as real as possible before they ask you to pay them fees, provide personal information, or tell you to deposit a fake check.

LEARN MORE. SPOT A JOB SCAM

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